Fall Movie Previews: Little Children, The Departed and Others

OCTOBER 6th

The Departed

The studios have already started to bombard television with ads for this one, the first "true" gangster film from Martin Scorsese since 1995's Casino. The Departed also will mark the first time that Scorsese has worked with Jack Nicholas. Do I need to keep writing? I will see this movie when it comes out, perhaps even on opening night. Nobody makes a better gangster flick than Scorsese, nobody. Leo, Matt Damon and Marky Mark also star.

Little Children

I actually read this Tom Perrotta (Election) novel on a complete whim. I found it in the bargain section at Border's. It was an immensely entertaining read, albeit slightly forced, a little trashy and totally contrived (in an American Beauty rip off/midlife crisis kind of way). With that said, I caught the trailer recently and it looked really good. The guy who directed In the Bedroom (Todd Field) made this movie and, at first glance anyway, he seems to have lent a subtle darkness to it that might make up for some of the problems I had with the book.

Employee of the Month

Is it just me, or what the hell is Dane Cook doing in this movie? A (seemingly) cheesy comedy that co-stars Jessica Simpson, Andy Dick and that guy from the first season of Punk'd? I'm a huge Dane Cook fan but I saw the trailer for this one and it looks like shoddy drivel and retarded slapstick. Maybe Cook is just trying to cash in, which is fine, but this is the kind of movie that could potentially ruin his career.

OCTOBER 11th

Running with Scissors

If you plan on seeing this and you haven't read the memoir it is based on by Augusten Burroughs, DON'T. You must read this book first, it's a law. Although the cast of this movie is ridiculous (Paltrow, Baldwin, Benning, Fiennes, just to name a few), the trailer looked down right bad; a total ruination by way of the Hollywood treatment. I'm not saying that Running with Scissors (the memoir) is a classic or anything like that. But it was a very good book; a harrowing and dark tale of a fucked up childhood. I also know you can't let movie trailers sway you this much, so I digress. Read the book then see the movie and then we'll talk.

OCTOBER 13th

Man of the Year